Suffolk food writer and MasterChef quarter-finalist Hannah Gregory shares a feast of a lamb dinner
A previous recipe I've done was easy kitchen raid pasta. We are now making a total 180 and making this fancy pants lamb dish because life is about balance and enjoying the juxtaposition of hoofing carbs straight from the pan whilst in your PJs one day to enjoying melt in the mouth, perfectly cooked lamb loin, the other.
Yes, I know Easter has just passed us by but that doesn’t mean we say goodbye to the delicious spring lamb that is still on offer to us. Nothing says spring to me like lamb – sweet, tender, lighter than its beefier, gamier counterparts that saw us through winter.
This dish utilises two cuts of the sheep, the loin and the shank, both of which are not used enough, in my humble opinion.
And yes, I know there are a million and two elements to this dish – I am not suggesting you throw it together for a midweek supper, I am suggesting you cut this recipe out, stick it on the fridge and cook it for a loved one when the mood takes and despite the million and two elements, they are actually all pretty easy. It’s the same old rule, take your time, enjoy it, make it an occasion. A lot of the elements use the same ingredients, which keeps costs down and minimises waste.
The bacon jam will yield you with a whole jar that will keep in the fridge for up to a month – but believe me when I tell you, it will not last that long. I slather it on EVERYTHING.
For the croquettes, you can make these in advance and leave to chill in the fridge for up to 24 hours or you can roll and pane them and freeze, just make sure you thoroughly defrost them before deep frying.
In fact, you can make the jam, croquettes and sauce in advance, so if you think about it, you’re just cooking some meat and potatoes with a bit of veg – easy peasy!
LAMB DINNER
(Serves 2)
For the bacon jam (make this in advance so you are not doing a million things at once)
200g pancetta
200g back bacon
1 white onion
2 garlic cloves
85g light brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoons Jack Daniels
2 tablespoons maple syrup
100ml espresso
For the lamb and chorizo croquette (you can also make this in advance)
120g cooking chorizo, finely diced
2 lamb shanks
1 carrot
3 shallots
1 stick of celery
350ml lamb stock
150ml rioja
Sprig of rosemary
25g butter
25g plain flour
150ml lamb stock
Plain flour for breadcrumbing
2 eggs
100g fresh breadcrumbs
Oil for frying
For the lamb and wine sauce
Braising liquid from the shanks above
Glug of olive oil
1 shallot
1 stick of celery
1 carrot
1 garlic clove
Sprig of rosemary
Sprig of thyme
200ml rioja
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
25g butter
For the potato fondants
3 maris piper potatoes
200g butter
2 cloves of garlic
Sprig of rosemary
Sprig of thyme
100ml lamb stock
For the lamb loin
300g lamb loin
2 cloves of garlic
Knob of butter
Glug of olive oil
Sprig of rosemary
Sprig of thyme
For the charred onions
6 banana shallots
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Glug of olive oil
For the broc
6 stems of purple sprouting
Method:
Bacon jam
Finely dice the pancetta and bacon.
Fry in a pan until golden and crisp (do this in two batches if needed, if you overcrowd the pan it’ll steam rather than crisp). Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon leaving the rendered fat behind.
Chop the onion, turn the heat to low and cook slowly in the rendered bacon fat until soft (approx 20 minutes).
Stir in the garlic, sugar, Jack Daniels, maple syrup and coffee and cook slowly for 30 minutes until sticky. Take off the heat and allow to cool.
Pulse in a food processor until everything is chopped finely. Decant into a jar and keep in the fridge.
Lamb and chorizo croquettes
Preheat the oven to 140.
Fry off diced chorizo until golden. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, leaving behind the rendered chorizo oil.
Season the lamb shanks and pour over a little olive oil.
Sear the shanks in the rendered chorizo oil.
Put a small casserole dish on the heat and add a glug of oil.
Roughly chop the carrot, shallots and celery and then brown in the oil.
Throw in a rosemary sprig, then add the lamb shanks, rioja and stock. Bring to the boil before reducing to a simmer.
Put a lid on the dish and place in the preheated oven for 2.5-3 hours until the lamb falls off the bone.
Remove from the oven and once cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones and set aside.
Strain the cooking liquid, reserving the liquid for the sauce and discarding the veg and bones.
Combine the chorizo and lamb.
Make a roux by melting the butter and slowly adding the flour, keep stirring to ensure it is smooth and you are cooking out the flour.
Add the lamb stock in increments, keep whisking until you have a thick sauce.
Stir through the chorizo and lamb and place into the fridge to chill.
Once the mix is cool, set up three plates – one with the flour, one with two eggs whisked and one with the breadcrumbs.
Using a spoon, scoop the lamb roux mix and roll into golf ball-sized balls. Roll in the flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs.
Pop in the fridge whilst you heat a pan of oil to 180. Deep fry your balls for about 5 minutes until deep golden brown and cooked through.
For the sauce
Roughly chop the shallots, garlic, celery and carrot.
Heat the olive oil in the pan, throw the veg in and cook until they start to caramelise and turn a deep brown.
Add the herbs, wine and vinegar and reduce until sticky and only a few ml of liquid left in the pan.
Add the reserved liquid from the shanks and reduce until you have a good consistency.
Pass the sauce through a sieve. Return to the pan and then stir through the butter until combined.
For the fondants
Peel the potatoes, top and bottom them so you have two roundish discs sitting at about 2cm tall.
Lay the potatoes in a frying pan, pour over the stock so the potatoes are just covered.
Add the butter, garlic, rosemary and thyme and season generously.
Bring to the boil and then bubble over a medium heat until the stock has evaporated (every so often, check the bottom of your potatoes to make sure they are not catching – they should be a deep golden brown).
Flip the potatoes to golden up the other side and then remove from the pan.
For the onions
Preheat the oven to 220.
Peel and halve the onions lengthways.
Get a piece of tin foil and fold it in half, folding in the two edges to make an envelope, pop the onions in with the vinegar and oil and seal the bag.
Bake for 45 minutes or until the onions are soft.
Remove from the oven and take the onions from the bag, discarding all their cooking juices.
Heat a griddle pan to high, tip the onions in and char all over.
For the lamb loin
Turn the oven down to 180.
Melt the butter and oil in an ovenproof frying pan until foaming.
Season the lamb loin, then sear fat side down in the frying pan.
Bash the cloves of garlic and throw in the pan with the herbs.
Sear the lamb on all sides and then place in the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
For the broccoli
Whilst the lamb is resting, toss the broccoli in the pan it was in, covering it in the herby butter and rendered lamb fat.
Place back in the oven for 10 minutes.
Bringing it all together
Carve the lamb into 4 equal portions.
Place 2 pieces of lamb on each plate with 2 potato fondants and a croquette.
Add a quenelle (or dollop) of bacon jam next to the croquette.
Add your charred onions and place a couple of stems of broccoli on the center of the plate.
Serve with the sauce on the side ready for pouring.
Find out about Hannah’s upcoming Supper Clubs and what she is currently cooking via Instagram @WanderSups
